Some random thoughts about the team with the playoffs drawing closer
Hey everyone, I’m Dan Woike and welcome back to The Times’ Lakers Newsletter, a chance for me to escape from the monotony of writing about the Lakers to write two paragraphs about basketball, after like 700 or so more words about the Lakers.
We’re starting to enter this strange stage of the season; the playoff push hasn’t truly started but it’s too close to ignore. So welcome to the in-between. In honor of that premise, here are 28 thoughts about the Lakers at this stage in the season.
28 lines about 56 games
Even though Luka Doncic isn’t quite over the trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers, his shock will eventually give way to inspiration and rage, according to those around him. 2. Why did he find the trade so upsetting? Best anyone can tell, Doncic had hoped to finish his career in Dallas much like Dirk Nowitzki did. 3. The grand conspiracies surrounding the Doncic trade almost all have been debunked.
4. The most agreed-upon truth, in its simplest terms, being that Dallas just didn’t believe in him as the centerpiece any longer, especially with a massive supermax looming.
long-term commitment. 6. He’s extension eligible this summer. 7. People who have worked with Doncic know how stung he’s been by all of this, and you could see the emotional toll Tuesday’s game with the Mavericks took on him. 8. Good news is that he has to do that only one more time — in the regular season. 9. Sweet sassy molassy, the Jordan “All My Exes” ad is wonderful.
10. I asked JJ Redick about LeBron James’ defense after the win over the Mavs, and while I didn’t expect him to say he thought James has been all-defensive-team good, the 40-year-old star has to have played himself onto some MVP ballots.
